Written By: Bhavyajyoti Chilukoti | Updated : May 10, 2016 10:55 AM IST
November is observed as Diabetes Awareness Month
When diet control, exercise and weight management prove futile to control your blood glucose level, anti-diabetic medications come into play. However, with so many treatment options available, choosing the one that perfectly fits your bill is a challenging one. One such widely used option is insulin pumps. Read more about treatments for diabetes: Oral medications, insulin and other methods.
What is it?
Insulin pump is composed of a pump that acts as a reservoir of insulin, a battery and a programmable chip. The pump operates with the help of the battery and is used to inject insulin at regular intervals. The chip allows the diabetic to control the amount of insulin in a programmed manner and at a constant rate. The pump is available in a compact size and can be attached to your pocket or belt.
How does it function?
The pump delivers fast-acting insulin through a thin plastic tube that extends as a small flexible tube or a thin needle. It has to be inserted beneath the skin (mainly at the site of infusion like the abdomen or buttocks). The set can be kept in the same place for around 3 days before moving to a new site.
Why choose insulin pump?
Anju Virmani, consultant endocrinologist, Max Hospital says, These pumps give you a better control over insulin injected in your body, so that you can plan your diet and activities accordingly. It is an amazing tool that helps diabetics live a better quality of life.
As insulin pumps help in consistent and steady release of insulin. People using them showed a lower level of HbA1c, a measure of blood glucose control over time (three six months). Also, the chances of suffering from hypoglycemia can be reduced with these pumps as insulin stays in the bloodstream for about 10 to 18 hours. As compared to insulin pens, use of insulin pumps reduces the number of pricks. In addition to being easy to use, the best part about insulin pumps is that children suffering from Type 1 diabetes do not need to take the painful insulin shots.
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